<p>By all means, talk, repeatedly, with the financial aid office. MOST students will fill out the Fafsa in early January and the CSS Profile about the same time. You are ED, so you were supposed to be in the mill earlier, but you goofed and are mature enough to say so. </p>
<p>Find someone in the Financial Aid office to work with you. Make SURE you keep track of their name (ie, don’t start over constantly with a new person each phone call – but do try another person if the original is unkind). Do everything in your power to get them all the numbers as quick as possible.</p>
<p>You are going to need your parents’ help. Frankly, it is usually the parents that fill out these forms because so much of it is their information. It is a difficult process, particularly the first time around – but make copies before you submit the forms and those copies will provide the framework for next year’s forms (you will need to reapply each year). </p>
<p>You may not get much this time (particularly since your folks have multiple homes) but you won’t know until you try. </p>
<p>Now, here’s two little goodies that many do not know:
- some schools use your freshman year as the template for all that follows (so the school gets the idea that you can afford $XXX your freshman year and that is likely the package you’ll get from there on out – so it is really, really important to get in line your freshman year. We were told this by a college financial aid officer.
- Many schools have in-house departmental money that they will hand out to kids that have submitted a Fafsa and Profile – ie, you will never even know that the school has a scholarship for “left handed Lithuanians who play the tuba” until you’ve filled out the Fafsa and Profile that says you’d like some money, please. From the “need money” list, they’ll start figuring out who is a tuba player and . . . but filling out the forms is what you do to get on that list. The ball is in your court. Start scrambling!</p>